Milo's Dedication

Here is the what was said at Milo's dedication:

As Milo’s grandfather, I’d like to welcome you to Milo’s dedication
ceremony.

The purpose of today is for Kelly and Nathan to make a promise to
God and to Milo, as well as for us, to make a commitment to support
them in keeping that promise.

While many dedications are held inside a church building, Kelly and
Nathan found being outside in the middle of God’s beautiful creation,
even in the cold, was just as fitting for this event.

…

While God had a special plan for their family, Kelly found great peace
in Hannah’s story as they prayed for their child.

(1 Samuel 9-11)

“So Hannah ate. Then she pulled herself together, slipped away
quietly, and entered the sanctuary. The priest Eli was on duty at the
entrance to God's Temple in the customary seat. Crushed in soul,
Hannah prayed to God and cried and cried—inconsolably. Then she
made a vow:
Oh, God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
If you'll take a good, hard look at my pain,
If you'll quit neglecting me and go into action for me
By giving me a son,
I'll give him completely, unreservedly to you.
I'll set him apart for a life of holy discipline.”

When God answered Hannah’s prayer giving her a son, she
remembered her vow.

“I prayed for this child, and God gave me what I asked for. And now I
have dedicated him to God. He's dedicated to God for life."
Then and there, they worshiped God.”

...

Next Kelly will read a short poem about their journey to parenthood.

I prayed for you by name,
in the night and in the day.
I cried. I begged. I pleaded.
Where’s my baby, God? I'd say.

But God was good and faithful,
and showed us His great love,
by giving us a son, named Milo;
a gift from up above.

The moment that we saw him,
our hearts were filled with joy.
This perfect little person was
our prayed for baby boy.

Now as he's growing quickly,
we hold him snug and tight.
Our prayer to God is simple,
help us raise him right.

...

At this time Kelly and Nathan will make their promises.

Milo, We promise to love and support you; to nurture you physically,
emotionally, and spiritually. We promise to raise you in a home that loves
and serves God. And we promise to cover you with prayer each and every
day.

God, we bring Milo Oliver before you in the spirit of dedication. We promise
to love and cherish the son you have entrusted us with, to teach him about
the truth of your Word and your Love so that he may come to accept
Jesus as his Savior. We promise to lead Milo through our own lives and
examples.

…

As Nathan and Kelly’s family and friends, you are also their
community of faith. As their community of faith, do you promise to
support Kelly and Nathan with guidance and prayer in raising Milo to
love and know God? If so, please say, We do.

...

As it is written in Deuteronomy...

(Deuteronomy 6: 4-7)

“Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one. Love the Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. These
commandments that I give you today, are to be upon your hearts.
Impress them on their children. Talk about them when you sit at home
and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you
get up.”

...

Kelly and Nathan would also like to recognize Eric and Caroline
Thorne as Milo’s godparents. Their job as godparents is simply to
be a positive influence in Milo’s life, supporting his parents efforts
of raising him in a loving, Christian home. Eric and Caroline, do you
accept to be Milo’s godparents? If so, say We do.

...

At this time, Kelly and Nathan would like to share a special video of
the first few months of Milo’s life...
(VIDEO)

...

Please join me in prayer.

God, We thank you for blessing our family with Milo Oliver. We pray
that you continue to guide Kelly and Nathan in raising Milo in a home
that loves and serves only You.

We pray for Milo’s lasting health, for his physical growth, and for his
spiritual journey, ultimately leading him to accept Jesus as his one
and only Saviour.

Have your hand upon each family represented today, and let us go
with a spirit of dedication both to you and to our families.


…

Thank you for all for coming and being a part of this special moment
in Milo’s life.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

My, oh my what a whirlwind this trip to WV has been! First of all, we left Midland around 6 pm... and drove all evening. Milo did great! He slept all but about 45 minutes of the trip. And his natural clock didn't seem to get messed up at all. We had a very nice Thanksgiving with Nathan's family and my brother. My mother-in-law, as always, cooked a delicious traditional meal. YUM! Another big highlight of our trip has been Milo's first snow and Milo's dedication. We woke up this morning to beautiful WV flurries! I threw a hat on Milo and took him outside in his pajamas to experience the weather. He could definitely see the flakes in the air. That was a fun moment. The bigger event today was Milo's dedication.

We decided to do things a little differently with Milo's dedication. We went up the mountain to Coopers Rock State Forest and held the dedication under the pavilion, fireside. It was cold, yes... about 28 degrees. WHAT? You took your baby out in 28 degree weather. Yep... and he didn't freeze?! First of all, he'd better get used to it living in Michigan. Secondly, I bundled my baby up... he was plenty warm. My mom made an adorable and warm fleece hat and mittens for Milo's dedication. And I even put a thin layer of lanolin on his lips, cheeks, and chin to keep his face from getting chapped with all the drooling he does these days. We were probably only out there for about 30 minutes. Most people didn't come because of the weather... but that's OK. It was cold and perfect regardless. I am planning on posting more about our dedication with what was said and pictures.

A special thank you to Fred, Linda, and Susie
Freddie, Tiffany, and Wyatt
Lisa, Josiah, and Haylee
Eric, Caroline, Ethan, and Anne... for coming out in the cold to support our family. We love you.

Then, this morning we had a pre-Christmas, Christmas morning. We put Milo in his new Christmas jammies and opened presents from his Grandma and Grandpa (and a couple little ones from Santa.) Milo really seemed to enjoying ripping and playing with the wrapping paper. We also helped Nathan's parents put up their Christmas tree and decorate. Since we won't be making it back here for Christmas, it was a nice way to share some of the holiday season. It was really a lot of fun.

Tomorrow we're heading home, and again will drive all evening. Say a prayer for safe travels!

I'll try to blog again soon, with more about Milo's dedication.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!!

Craziness

Yesterday was SUCH a crazy day for us. Milo and I ran, ran, ran. And he didn't mind the constant in and out of the car. I love that he's so laid back, most of the time. The two biggest things were going to visit a brand new friend, fresh from the oven. My friend Marcia gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on Friday. The last I heard, she was still nameless... but it was so great getting to meet her. She weighed just a couple ounces more than Milo when he was born. MMmmm.... it made me ready for another!!! Maybe not today, and not tomorrow... but maybe sooner rather than later.

The other thing that made our day crazy was a doctor's appointment I had. I've been having a back pinch thingy... so I was just hoping to get some more physical therapy. And I had that appt. scheduled for a little while. Well... I happened to have a weird thing develop on my neck. I've had this weird bump thing on my neck for a while... but it wasn't really a big deal. It was always just there. Well on Monday... Nathan pointed out that it seemed bigger... and then it got tender... and then it got red.... then it started... draining. YUCK! So after I talked to the doc about my back, I said, "Oh by the way, could you look at this thing on my neck!?" He agreed it did not look good and said he needed to go in and cut it out. Let me add I was there with Milo by myself. With Milo beside the table in the stroller... they cut that thing out of my neck! It turned out to be an infected cyst. Is that gross or what? He ended up having to make a bigger incision than he thought because it was tricky and in a bad spot. He said he could be more aggressive if it were on say my back... but being on the side of my neck... he had to take it easy with the scalpel. Then he sent me home with the incision packed with gauze but not closed. Yuck! It still grosses me out. I have to go back in on Monday to have it repacked and I may have to have someone else do it while we are in Morgantown, depending on how it looks on Monday. He also sent it to the lab, to verify what it is. And Milo was SO good as long as the nurse would occasional give him a smile. It was the last ten minutes that he started wailing! Luckily my doctor has two young children himself, so he didn't seem fazed by it. We ended up being there in the office for an hour and a half. My neck is now a bit sore, and I'm on an antibiotic. And I can already see the bruising under the bandage from him trying to manipulate the cyst. That should look nice.

Anyway... this morning we went to our town's Santa Parade. This was Milo's first parade. It was cold... in the 30s... but Milo was snuggled in the Moby, in my jacket, and took a nice snooze while we waited for the parade to start. He seemed interested enough. Then, this afternoon I am getting my hair cut. I have GOT to figure out what to do with my hair. Its just impossible to deal with. We'll see what I end up with! I'm always very brave when it comes to hair.

Ok... I need to tend to my baby boy. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Buh Buh

Milo is napping right now...in bed... by himself! YAY! Milo's doing very well these days. We have embraced our 'family bed' and everyone is sleeping just fine. Milo will even wake up and fall back asleep on his own. For whatever reason, he is finally relaxed and comfortable in bed. I don't know why he couldn't do that in his crib, but I don't care. I just want Milo to feel comfortable and safe so that he can rest well. And Nathan and I both love cuddling him and watching him sleep during the night. It only took 5 months...

Speaking of 5 months... he is officially 5 months old today! And I can honestly say... without hesitation... it has been the most amazing 5 months of my life. It was hard in the beginning... but Milo is just so worth it.

(This is a side note... but Milo took an hour and forty five minute nap yesterday... in his car seat. He fell asleep as soon as we left church and he stayed asleep while I ran into the grocery store and while we drove home. He still didn't wake up... so Nathan ended up eating his lunch in the car so Milo could finish his nap. :) He hasn't taken a nap that long in a long time. Now if I can get him to do THAT in bed!)

We have also decided to have Milo dedicated instead of baptized. I would be fine with either. I feel as though they serve the same purpose... but we're conflicted since we also believe in believer's baptism. So we decided to have Nathan's dad dedicate Milo. We are still working on the details, but we are going to hold the ceremony at one of our favorite places in WV.... Coopers Rock. There's no better place, in my book, to have Milo dedicated than in the middle of God's beautiful creation. Some people feel God's presence in a magnificent cathedral... but for us... its simple amidst the beauty of His creation.

Not much else to report. Milo is still so close to crawling. And his language is also really developing. He is making a funny "buh" sound... And a "mmm" sound. I think he's close to Ma Ma. *Big Smile*

Love

I should be cleaning, folding laundry, dishes, etc. but I felt like blogging instead. I just put Milo down for his nap (without nursing him!!!) Our newest method of getting him to sleep is to dance around the house listening to Bollywood (Indian) music?! He went right to sleep.

After he fell asleep I was getting ready to lay him down in bed, and he quickly moved his hand... open palm, against my skin, over my heart. I just stood there... I felt so connected to my son. The son I feared I may never, ever get to have and hold and love and kiss. I think its along the same lines why I have been willing to deal with so much pain and discomfort relating to breast feeding. Its been a way to be physically close and feel emotionally connected.

I know we all feel this way about our children (and boy do I understand how much my parents love me now...) but Milo is our miracle. Everyday, our (I know this holds true for Nathan) hearts almost explode with love. Being a mother is the hardest thing I've ever done. Its a huge, massive, gigantic job and responsibility. I had a great life before... and a great marriage to an amazing, the most amazing, man. But Milo has just filled our world with so much joy.

I pray everyday that God will mold and transform me into a better mother.

Milo's Baptism

Nathan and Milo ran out to get a movie, so I thought I'd take a quick minute to blog. {This is their first solo, Daddy-Milo outing.}

We have been talking about this for a little while now, but we decided to have Milo baptized while we are back home for Thanksgiving at my family's home church. We kind of had to decide between a baptism and dedication. I believe both are equally valid rituals in the Christian faith. I believe that we each have to make a choice for Christ as adults. Some churches believe baptism is strictly for adults after a decision to follow Christ is made. But in the United Methodist Church... that is done through confirmation... where you are reaffirming your baptism. Even when an adult is baptized... there is still a reaffirmation process. And just like dedication, both the family and the church are accepting the baby into the family of God... and promising to support and raise that child in a Christ centered home and life.

I'm very excited about this event in Milo's life... and I pray it is the beginning of a long and fruitful spiritual journey with God.

Sleep

{After Milo's first Halloween party with our newborn group... he immediately passed out on the way home. And notice he is not in an infant car seat anymore. Our little-big boy made it clear he was ready for a little-big boy car seat... which he loves.}

A big theme in our lives right now... as well as the lives of most other new parents... is sleep. I think I've mentioned it before, like a million times before. Nathan and I were talking this evening. In our conversation, Nathan made the comment that we are just in transition. I followed that up with the fact that we've been working on this transition since Milo was 7 weeks old! I don't think we can still call it a transition. Maybe we can.

Anyway. This evening I did a little more reading about attachment parenting. For the most part, that describes us. I breast feed on demand, baby wear, etc. This is partly because this is what we chose, but I think an equal part of that is because it fit Milo's needs. Not all baby's like to be snuggled or worn. Milo does.

I have this battle (one of many) going on in my head. Society vs. Instinct. My instinct tells me that Milo needs me close. But society says that by 3 months your baby should be sleeping in their bed and through the night. But what if that doesn't fit our baby. Does that mean I should attempt to force Milo into something he may not be ready for yet? I want Milo to be an independent sleeper, but I think he has made it clear he is simply not ready for that yet.

And there are many benefits to co-sleeping, sleep sharing, or the family bed... whichever you terminology you prefer. My favorite are the emotional benefits. There ares studies that show that babies who co slept with their parents grow up with a higher self-esteem, less anxiety, actually become independent sooner, are better behaved in school, and are more comfortable with affection. Good benefits of co-sleeping. You'll see.

This past weekend, Nathan heard an episode of This American Life about love. Apparently back in the day (maybe 50-60 years ago) all of the physicians and professionals in the field were stating that a baby who is kissed more than once a year is an over kissed baby. The story was about one scientist who was fought that notion. That just kind of proves that what "they" say should be taken somewhat lightly.

And there may be some of you out there who think I'm making a mistake. But we all know that every baby is different and has different needs. Many of the authors on the subject admit that they didn't understand until their third or fourth child came along and made them understand.

I'm going to try to focus on meeting Milo's needs and that's it. Its obvious he is not ready for independent sleeping and that's OK. I will still try to encourage it, especially for day time napping. But I am going to take the pressure off and follow his lead.

And if I can be honest about one more thing... As the mother of a baby boy who is growing way too fast (he's in 6-12 month clothing already!!) I'm glad he still likes to be cuddled and snuggled and nursed.

Big Boy

I cannot believe its already (almost) Thursday and I cannot believe it is already November! I guess with all of our company... October just flew by. In all honesty, I can probably say that for every month.

Since about Halloween day, Milo has been able to sit up for over a minute on his own! I still like to be right there with him. When he does start to fall, I try to let him fall naturally, but gently... so he understands the natural consequences of his movements. And those early crawling motions are really starting. He can hike his butt up in the air, and he's learning to use his legs to get moving. I really think he'll be crawling by Thanksgiving if not before.

Today we had to take our cat to the vet for some minor skin issues she was having. At the vet, one of the guys that works there was gushing over Milo... then he said he also has a 4 month old... that is 18 lbs!! I thought Milo was a big boy!! We starting chatting about Sophie the Giraffe and leg warmers for boys, etc. Basically, by the time we left the vet, I had his fiancé's phone number to arrange a play date. :)

Milo now LOVES PeekABoo! He also has become quite the horse back rider. Mom and Dad found a vintage Fisher Price horse riding toy that even makes a little galloping sound... that Milo loves. While Mom and Dad were here, Mom would push Milo up and down the hallway on this horse. And its so cute because he'll even hold on the reins and lean right against the horse's mane... he seriously looks like he know what he is doing. Its SOOOO stinking adorable. I want Milo to be whatever he wants to be in life... but I could see him becoming a bit of a cowboy (especially if Grandma and Grandpa R have anything to do with it.) I'm hoping over the new couple of years, we'll be able to find an old saddle for him to play on.

Not much else is new. I got Milo's 6-12 month clothing (I had some out already) because he is so over his 3-6 month clothes. It was a blast getting out the next size up... it was like I went shopping and found all of this great, adorable stuff... but didn't have to spend any money. I guess all of those sales over the past couple (ok... maybe a few) years worked out well.